Content management across shared, mobile file systems

ABSTRACT

A content management system and method are disclosed having one or more shared file systems located on one or more networks having a firewall. The content management system includes an explorer client, a mounting client, and a gateway. The gateway is in communication with both the explorer client and the mounting client. The explorer client forms a profile of a user device by determining the characteristics of the user device. The mounting client determines the capabilities of the one or more file systems and where content resides on each of the one or more file systems. The gateway then creates a virtual abstraction layer based on the profile of the user device and the capabilities of the one or more file systems.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/961,545, filed Oct. 8, 2004; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to content management and, more particularly, to a system and method for managing, routing, and providing content across shared, mobile file systems to users who are intermittently connected across a heterogeneous mix of networks and mobile devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Today, the majority of digital content resides within computer based file systems. We use the file systems to manage our digital content by organizing it, distributing it, and controlling access in much the same way as filing cabinets manage paper-based content. File systems can be found on personal computers and corporate servers. More recently file systems have been implemented on mobile devices like our cellular telephones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), laptop computers, and PC Tablets. In all instances the file systems can be used to support the management of content whether personal or corporate.

Content management across shared, mobile file systems is an increasingly common challenge for organizations today as more and more mobile devices become available (laptops, cell phones, PDAs, tablet PCs, etc.), as more and more content is available in electronic form (documents, email, pictures, commerce, videos, data etc.), and as access to devices and content becomes more and more ubiquitous (internet, wireless, etc.). Current approaches focus either on providing “secure remote access” in the form of Virtual Private Networks, or on providing “content management” in the form of standalone document repositories.

Enterprise IT departments are challenged to provide reliable, cost effective mechanisms that allow enterprise employees, partners, and customers to securely share and manage enterprise file system content from outside of the firewall, or across locations within the enterprise. A well implemented solution will allow the mobile user to set up a secure communication channel to the enterprise file systems, to be authenticated as a valid user, and to be authorized to access specific enterprise resources. Ideally, users will be enabled to share and manage mobile content across distributed intermittently connected file systems in a secure fashion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for managing content across shared file systems located on networks having a firewall is disclosed. The method comprises determining the characteristics of a user device when a user of the user device requests content from one or more of the file systems. The characteristics of the user device include the type of device, the amount of RAM and disk space available on the user device, and the operating system utilized by the user device. The method further comprises determining the characteristics of the networks including the current speed, capacity, and type of networks, as well as any firewall properties or restrictions that might affect transmission. The method further comprises determining the characteristics of the file systems that contain the requested content. The method further comprises creating a virtual abstraction layer based on the characteristics of the user device, the networks, and the file systems. The virtual abstraction layer provides the content from the shared file systems to the user device such that the view to the user is the same as if that content was local to the user device.

According to another embodiment of the present invention a method for managing content across an intermittent mobile connection having a firewall is disclosed. The method comprises managing one or more file systems. The method further comprises determining the characteristics of a user device when a user of the user device requests content from any of the managed file systems. The characteristics of the user device includes the type of device, the amount of RAM and disk space available on the user device, and the operating system utilized by the user device. The method further comprises determining the characteristics of the intermittent mobile connection including the current speed, capacity, and type of the connection, as well as any firewall properties or restrictions that might affect transmission. The method further comprises determining the characteristics of any of the managed file systems that contain the requested content, including the characteristics of the content on the file system. The method further comprises generating and maintaining a cached representation of the content of the managed file systems. The cached representation is capable of being transparently interacted with by the user on the user device.

According to another embodiment of the present invention a method for managing content across an intermittent mobile connection having a firewall is disclosed. The method comprises managing one or more file systems. The method further comprises determining the characteristics of a user device when a user of the user device requests content from any of the managed file systems. The characteristics of the user device include the type of device, the amount of RAM and disk space available on the user device, and the operating system utilized by the user device. The method further comprises determining the characteristics of the intermittent mobile connection including the current speed, capacity, and type of the connection, as well as any firewall properties or restrictions that might affect transmission. The method further comprises determining the characteristics of any of the managed file systems that contain the requested content. The characteristics of the file system include an authorization structure and authentication information. The method further comprises generating and maintaining a cached representation of the authorization structure and authentication information. The cached representation is capable of authorizing and authenticating the user on the user device.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, an article of manufacture is disclosed comprising a computer readable medium and a plurality of instructions wherein at least a portion of said plurality of instructions are storable in said computer readable medium. The plurality of instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform the steps of the above described methods.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a system is disclosed comprising a first processor, a computer readable medium electronically coupled to said first processor, and a plurality of instructions wherein at least a portion of said plurality of instructions are storable in said computer readable medium. The plurality of instructions are configured to cause said first processor to perform the steps of the above described methods.

According to another embodiment of the present invention a content management system having one or more shared file systems located on one or more networks having a firewall is disclosed. The content management system comprises an explorer client, a mounting client and a gateway. The explorer client forms a profile of a user device by determining the characteristics of the user device. The mounting client determines the capabilities of the one or more file systems and where content resides on each of the one or more file systems. The gateway creates a virtual abstraction layer. The gateway is in communication with both the explorer client and the mounting client. The gateway utilizes the profile of the user device and the capabilities of the one or more file systems when creating the virtual abstraction layer.

According to another embodiment of the present invention a content management system for devices having an intermittent mobile connection across a firewall is disclosed. The content management system comprises an explorer client, a mounting client, and a gateway. The explorer client forms a profile of a user device by determining the characteristics of the user device. The mounting client determines the capabilities of one or more file systems and a layout of content on the one or more file systems. The gateway generates and maintains a cached representation of the content of the one or more file systems. The cached representation is generated from the layout of content on the one or more file systems communicated to the gateway by the mounting client.

According to another embodiment of the present invention a method for managing content across a shared file system located on a network having a firewall is disclosed. The method comprises determining the characteristics of a user device when a user of the user device requests content from the file system. The characteristics of the user device include the type of device, the amount of RAM and disk space available on the user device, and the operating system utilized by the user device. The method further comprising determining the network characteristics including the current speed, capacity, and type of the network, as well as any firewall properties or restrictions that might affect transmission. The method further comprising determining the characteristics of the file system. The method further comprising creating a virtual abstraction layer based on the characteristics of the user device, the network, and the file system. The virtual abstraction layer provides the content from the shared file system to the user device such that the view to the user is the same as if that content was local to the user device.

The above summary of the present invention is not intended to represent each embodiment, or every aspect, of the present invention. Additional features and benefits of the present invention are apparent from the detailed description, figures, and claims set forth below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a content management system, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an architectural view showing components within a shared file system Explorer Client, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an architectural view showing components within a shared mobile file systems gateway, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an architectural view showing components within a mobile file system Mounting Client, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the organization of content across a shared, mobile file system by the content management system, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system upon which embodiments of the invention may be implemented, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a system for facilitating content management across shared, mobile file systems, according to one embodiment. The content management system 10 comprises a Shared File Systems Explorer Client (“Explorer Client”) 12, a Shared Mobile File Systems Gateway (“Gateway”) 14, and a Mobile File System Mounting Client (“Mounting Client”) 16. The Explorer Client 12 and the Mounting Client 16 are adapted to function on a plurality of user devices 18 a-e. As illustrated, the Explorer Client 12 may be provided on a tablet PC 18 a, a laptop computer 18 b, a cellular telephone 18 c, a cradled personal digital assistant (PDA) 18 d, a wireless PDA 18 e, a smart phone 18 f, or a desktop computer 18 g. The Mounting Client 16 may be provided to additional devices, such as, for example, a database 19 a, web services 19 b, a desktop computer 19 c, a server 19 d, enterprise applications 19 e, or file systems 19 f. The Gateway 14 may be provided on a mainframe (operating on a UNIX platform), a PC server, or a similar device.

The Explorer Client 12 provides an interface from a wide variety of devices 18 a-e (using the native file explorer interface of the device) for accessing and managing content across distributed, intermittently connected file systems 19 f. The Gateway 14 allows users to create a centrally managed, fully distributed peer-to-peer file sharing and distribution network. Operators make a file system's 19 f content available for sharing by registering it using the Mounting Client 16. The Explorer Client 12 then allows users to securely and efficiently move and copy objects between registered file systems. In addition, a number of advanced content management capabilities are provided by the Gateway 14 including an ability to inform a user when a piece of content has changed or become available. At the same time, administrators may track and report content usage including the specific association of content with users. Both the Mounting Client 16 and the Explorer Client 12 can communicate through firewalls to the Gateway 14.

A common problem with other content management systems is that they do not address the “intermittently disconnected” nature of mobile access, nor do they take into account the performance capabilities of the devices or networks being used. They assume the connection is “always on” and they do not recognize that a laptop connecting over a slow dial up line, will have different characteristics from a workstation on the corporate LAN, or a cell phone over an unstable wireless connection. Unlike prior systems, the content management system of the present invention creates a virtual abstraction layer that allows the Gateway 14—with the assistance of the Explorer Client 12 and the Mounting Client 16—to actively manage connections and performance in a seamless fashion without requiring user interaction.

On less traditional devices (PDAs, cellphones, etc.), the content management system of the present invention uses various filters, adapters, and caching mechanisms to improve performance and reliability based on the devices and networks involved in an operation.

The Explorer Client 12 is a native application that runs on a mobile device 18. The Explorer Client 12 contains components written in several different programming languages including C, C++, C#, .NET and Java. The Explorer Client 12 is adapted to run on a variety of different devices including devices running the Microsoft Windows Mobile OS (formerly Pocket PC or PPC), the Symbian OS, the Windows 2000 OS (Win2K, Windows Millenium), the Windows XP OS, the Windows XP tablet OS, the RIM OS, and the Palm OS.

According to one embodiment, the Explorer Client 12 runs in the native file system of the mobile device 18. Thus, a user is able to utilize the Explorer Client 12 without any additional training. Further, the Explorer Client 12 supports the full capabilities of the native file system on the mobile device 18. This provides a “highest common denominator approach” to content management.

According to another embodiment, implementation of the Explorer Client 12 provides a “thin client” that runs in a browser. This provides “lowest common denominator” coverage especially for those devices whose file system capabilities are limited (e.g., RIM). It also enables users to access content when they are not requesting the content from their own mobile device 18.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an architectural view of the Explorer Client 12 is shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The Explorer Client 12 includes a communication stack module 30, which allows for communication between the Explorer Client 12 and the Gateway 14. According to one embodiment, the communication stack module 30 allows the Explorer Client 12 to communicate with the Gateway 14 in the Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer (HTTP over SSL) protocol. SSL is an open, nonproprietary protocol that uses a 40-bit key size for the RC4 stream encryption algorithm, which is considered an adequate degree of encryption for commercial exchange. Further, HTTP over SSL supports the use of X.509 digital certificates from the server so that, if necessary, a user can authenticate the sender.

The Explorer Client 12 also includes encryption libraries 32 which are native device libraries that support encryption. According to one embodiment, the mechanism for encrypting is SSL and the libraries are native SSL libraries. The Explorer Client 12 further includes a Client User Interface (CUI 34) 34. The CUI 34 provides a mechanism for presenting to the user a view of one or more file systems 19 f and for manipulating the contents of those files systems 19 f. According to one embodiment, the mechanism for implementing the CUI 34 is to utilize an existing native file explorer application, on the mobile device 18, that has been suitably extended. It is generally known within the industry that the native file explorers support such extensions.

The Explorer Client 12 also contains a module 36 for authenticating and authorizing a user. This module 36 enables a user to be authenticated and authorized against the Gateway 14, and includes communication and user interface components.

Finally, the Explorer Client 12 contains a mechanism for view management 38 that allows the Explorer Client 12 to present a view of the content available to the user (based on their permissions and other restrictions enforced by the Gateway 14) across one or more of the remote file systems. According to one embodiment, the implementation of this mechanism maintains a folder hierarchy view of virtual directories (network folders).

Referring now to FIG. 3, an architectural view of the Gateway 14 is shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The Gateway 14 provides a centralized network access point between the Explorer Client 12 and the remote, distributed, intermittently connected file systems 19 f. The Gateway 14 preserves the native security of the remote file systems 19 f while enabling additional layers of security and administration specific to the content management system 10 of which the Gateway 14 is a part.

The Gateway 14 is a, primarily java, application that runs within an existing web application server. The Gateway 14 can run on a number of different application servers including BEA Weblogic, and IBM Websphere and on a number of different operating systems including, but not limited to, Windows NT, Windows Server, Solaris, Linux, and HPUx.

Existing content management systems leverage existing internet/wireless infrastructure like content management applications and document repositories, but do not adequately address authenticating and authorizing a user. Further, these systems do not enable sufficient capabilities of the existing infrastructure. In current HTTP over SSL solutions, a “web application” is created separate from the remote file system with its own security and functionality that is defined and maintained separately from the remote file system. Usually, the content from remote file systems must be copied or replicated into a central document repository or content management system. Standard browsers provide a read-only capability to content on the server. Additionally, web application security relates to HTTP “actions” or “verbs.” Thus, there is not a one-to-one mapping between these verbs and the actions related to manipulating the contents of a file system. In the content management system 10 of the present invention, the native security and other capabilities of the remote file system are propagated to the local devices of users through the Gateway 14.

The Gateway 14 contains a communication bridge module 40 which is a mechanism for communicating between the Gateway 14 and a plurality of Explorer and Mounting Clients 12,16. The preferred mechanism for communicating is HTTP over SSL. The mechanism incorporates proprietary extensions that support automatic disconnect recovery and queuing. These extensions include support for compression, file level recovery and differencing, and byte level recovery and differencing (e.g., the ability to recover quickly when HTTP communications are interrupted as frequently occurs over wireless networks). It also includes the ability to match the correct content to the correct context. For example, some content is not viewable on certain devices, or it needs to be provided in a different format (e.g., a cell phone might just receive an SMS notification, while a RIM device would be emailed a link to the document, but a PocketPC device would have the file pushed down on to the native file system).

The Gateway 14 includes server encryption libraries 42 that are native server libraries supporting encryption. According to one embodiment, the mechanism for encrypting is SSL, and the libraries are native SSL libraries. The Gateway 14 also includes an authentication proxy module 44 for authenticating users using user credentials provided directly via the CUI 34 (FIG. 2) or indirectly via cached information against an existing authentication server. According to one embodiment, the authentication proxy module 44 is as a server proxy that passes the authentication request through to the external authentication mechanism. The external authentication can include, but is not limited to, RADIUS, Active Directory, any LDAP compliant directory, or a FAT file system.

The Gateway 14 is able to provide security across multiple network domains. It can secure content and authorize users wherever the content or users are regardless of whether they are inside or outside a corporate firewall. For example, in a Management Service Provider (MSP) or an Application Service Provider (ASP) environment, the Gateway 14 can flexibly control security and access between and across different corporate domains each with a different authentication and authorization models. The Gateway 14 includes support for Kerberos, VPNs, etc.

The Gateway 14 is provided with content management utilities 46 that enable the extension of the functionality of the mounted or mapped file systems. For example, the content management utilities 46 can be used to enable automatic notification of file system changes and to enable automatic provisioning of content into one or more target file systems. A logging module 48 is included with the Gateway 14 for recording all system and user transactions to support non-repudiation and system recovery. The Gateway 14 also includes a policy engine 50 that allows all aspects of content management in the Gateway 14 to be specified as configurable business rules without any coding required, as discussed in assignee's companion patent application entitled Distributed Scalable Policy Based Content Management, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In effect, the virtual abstraction layer, as well as the rule for routing, distributing and controlling content in the virtual abstraction layer are defined as policies.

In standard devices and computers, almost all unstructured user content is stored within an enterprise file system. The most popular file systems for this purpose are Microsoft Windows based file systems. There are several different Windows file systems currently in use but the most popular is NT file system (NTFS). File systems provide a mechanism for storing and retrieving content. Without exception, file systems assume that a hierarchy (in the form of a simple tree structure) is used to organize the stored content. The hierarchy includes a containment structure called folders and individual items called files. To store the content in a retrievable manner, a file's name, location, and size must be stored somewhere. In addition to this basic material, most file systems also store permissions to control access to individual files and folders. The information that is associated with a file system is commonly referred to as the file system metadata.

In most file systems (UNIX, Apple, Microsoft Windows), information such as a file's location and name are stored in a distributed manner, with each directory storing a list of all the items that the system contains. The combination of the file's name and location forms the file's identifier (there are some exceptions in which a unique identifier is used instead—a relational database construct).

Permissions are usually stored on file systems that are intended for use with networked file systems. Since file date storage is so common, there is almost always a logical home for permissions to be stored alongside file dates in the dedicated metadata structures of the file system. File ownership is usually combined with permissions. Unix, for example, regulates file access by assigning rights to the file's owner, the file's group, and everyone else. In such an implementation, the permissions metadata is useless without the owner and group metadata. Again, this is usually all stored in a single metadata structure alongside the creation date, permission, and other “non-essential” metadata. However, there are some exceptions. For example, in new releases of windows server (212 and 213) the users and groups are often stored in Active Directory, while the NFTS permissions are stored elsewhere. Active Directory is a centralized and standardized system that automates network management of user data, security, and distributed resources, and enables interoperation with other directories. Active Directory is designed especially for distributed networking environments. In the future, the NTFS permissions may be stored in Active Directory as well. In windows it is also possible to have groups and users that are local to a specific machine (e.g., a laptop, etc.) that are not stored in Active Directory but these groups and users are typically not used with newer deployments of windows networked file systems.

The underlying definition and description of the file system exists in hidden files called metadata files. In Windows the majority of these files were implemented at the conception of NTFS, and almost all have existed since NT 3.5. These files are used strictly to manage data and expose a significant amount of information previously hidden in FAT file system implementations. The NTFS metadata files (with a few exceptions) can be mapped to metadata files in UNIX and MAC file systems. One of the key features of NTFS is the ability to define access control information for each system object—NTFS security. By applying different security policies, a user may allow or deny access to files and folders for particular users or groups.

The Gateway 14 includes a file system adapter 52 that facilitates the mounting (UNIX terminology) or mapping (Windows terminology) of one or more existing file systems to the Gateway 14. The adapter 52 enables a system administrator or user to make a file system 19 f available. In doing so, users with the appropriate authorization can remotely manipulate the file system 19 f. The authorization controls associated with the mounted file system are maintained by the Gateway 14. The adapter 52 supports a variety of common file system formats, including, but not limited to, NTFS, FAT, HTFS+, Solaris, Linux, Symbian, and PPC.

The file system adapters 52 used in the Gateway 14 automatically extract the file system metadata that is required to “mount” or “map” the file system 19 f and subsequently allow users to manipulate the contents. The adapters 52 have been written so that they utilize existing file system application program interfaces to access the relevant metadata. All the vendors of existing file systems have made this information freely available and it is well documented in a variety of different formats.

The file system adapter module 52 extracts the information and then parses it into an internal virtual format. Some of the information is parsed into an Extensible Markup Language (XML) representation to enable rapid sharing with other system components and to minimize ongoing development and maintenance costs. The file system adapter module 52 stores the required metadata within the resource registry. Adding the information required to support the advanced content management capabilities further extends the metadata.

Some of the metadata extracted from the file system 19 f is relevant to managing authorization and authentication. The Gateway 14 also uses other information such a file type, and file size. For example, it can compare the file type with the capabilities of the target mobile device to determine whether or not a file can be moved to the mobile device from another file system 19 f.

A system metadata registry 54 is included in the Gateway 14. The metadata registry is a fully distributed registry that contains metadata about all resources managed by the Gateway 14. These resources include system policies, end-users, devices, networks, and file systems. According the one embodiment, the implementation of the system metadata registry 54 utilizes a LDAP registry or a windows system registry to store the metadata.

An authorization proxy module 56 is included in the Gateway 14 for authorizing users using user credentials provided directly via the CUI 34 (FIG. 2) or indirectly via cached information against either an existing authorization structure such as a NTFS file server or against a cached representation of an existing authorization structure.

Existing file systems 19 f already include mechanisms for authorizing users. As discussed previously, the information required for authorizing the users is stored in the file system meta-data or in a network accessible directory or registry. The Gateway 14 uses the existing authorization information to authorize remote access to file systems 19 f. As a result, a system administrator does not have to worry about maintaining remote authorization controls that are distinct from the file system authorization controls that are already in place.

The Gateway 14 supports the use of existing authorization information in several different ways. According to one embodiment, the Gateway 14 is configured to “pass” authorization requests back to the file system driver that controls authorization to the file system 19 f. In this embodiment, the Gateway 14 acts as an authorization proxy between the remote Explorer Client 12 and the target file system 19 f.

According to another embodiment, the Gateway 14 is configured to obtain a copy of the file system authorization metadata from the file system 19 f and to cache a representation of this copy locally. Doing so prevents the Gateway 14 from having to pass authorization requests back to the file server. This mechanism also supports the ability to build custom authorization filters that can be used on a user-by-user or device-by-device basis to tailor the handling of authorization requests.

According to another embodiment, the Gateway 14 is configured so that all authorization for remote access is handled by the Gateway 14 itself. In this embodiment the Gateway 14 over-rides the authorization component of the mapped file system(s) 19 f.

Authentication works similarly to authorization. The Gateway 14 can be configured to support authentication in several different ways. According to one embodiment, the Gateway 14 is configured to “pass” authentication requests back to an external authentication authority such as an LDAP registry or RADIUS server. In this embodiment, the Gateway 14 acts as an authentication proxy between the remote Explorer Client 12 and the target authentication authority. Thus, all users and groups are maintained externally to the Gateway 14 in this embodiment. According to another embodiment, the Gateway 14 is configured so that all authentications are handled locally by the Gateway 14. In this embodiment, the Gateway 14 over-rides the authentication component of the mapped file system(s).

Additionally, a cache module 58 is included in the Gateway 14 for storing authentication and authorization information. This enables the rapid authentication and authorization of users with minimum consumption of network and system resources. Additionally, the cache module 58 may cache representations of file systems 19 f enabling rapid access to file system's 19 f contents even when the file system 19 f resides on a device that is not operational or that is not connected to the network.

Referring now to FIG. 4, an architectural view of the Mounting Client 16 is shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The Mounting Client 16 provides an interface from a wide variety of devices 19 to publish or enable access to the local file system 19 f via the Gateway 14. The Mounting Client 16 has the exact same components and modules as the Explorer Client 12, except that instead of a CUI 34 (FIG. 2) the Mounting Client 16 has a File Mounting User Interface (FMUI) 60 and includes additional components, such as delta scan 62 and security 64. Utilizing the FMUI 60, a user can navigate and select portions of their local file system 19 f, and then navigate and indicate where in the Gateway 14 network folders the content should be made available on the Gateway 14. At this time, the Explorer Client 12 and Gateway 14 assimilate the containment structure and establish references to each of the folders and file objects therein. In this manner, the content on the newly mounted remote file system 19 f is incorporated into the virtual abstraction layer maintained by the Gateway 14 and viewed through an Explorer Client 12.

As discussed above, the Mounting Client 16 includes both a delta scan component 62 and a security component 64. Once a representation of the local file system has been established, the delta scan component 62 identifies changes, additions, modifications and deletions to the containment structure and file objects and communicates these to the Gateway 14. The security component 64 also ensures that all authorizations associated with the portions of the local file system are propagated to the Gateway 14 for enforcement. This is done when the initial file mount is done, and it is updated on a continual basis as part of the delta scan. The delta scan 62 may be scheduled on a regular basis (every X number of minutes) and/or whenever a new connection between the file system 19 f and the Gateway 14 is established (for intermittently connected file systems).

In addition to the file system mapping/mounting capability, the Mounting Client 16 allows users to “copy” or “move” digital content into file systems 19 f that are local to the Gateway 14. This capability is useful in situations where the user does not care that the remotely accessible content is not tied to the original content in the file system 19 f.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an example of the organization of content across a shared, mobile file system 19 f by the content management system 10 will be described. Utilizing the Mounting Client 16, a user—with the appropriate system privileges—makes file systems 19 f on one or more devices available by mounting or mapping them, at step 70, to the Gateway 14.

Another user can access content on those file systems 19 f using the Explorer Client 12. The Explorer Client 12 presents a view of the remote file systems 19 f made available through the Gateway 14. It does so by mapping the Gateway 14 view of the content on remote file systems 19 f into the local file system of the device, at step 72. Once mapped, a user can use the native file explorer of the device to navigate and interact with the remote file system 19 f through the Gateway 14. The Explorer Client 12 connects to the Gateway 14 which maintains the connections to the remote file systems 19 f that were registered using the Mounting Client 16.

At step 74, the Explorer Client 12 automatically identifies all file systems 19 f mounted on the Gateway 14 that a user has the authority to see and builds a representation of the file system(s) structure and content. This cached representation creates a virtual abstraction layer at the Gateway 14. The communication channel between the Explorer Client 12 and the Gateway 14 is encrypted—transparent to the user. The view of the remote content that is presented to a user is the same as if that content was already local to the device.

A user only sees objects within the remote file system(s) 19 f that the user is authorized to access. All object permissions are similarly applied, at step 76. A user is authenticated against the remote systems using the same mechanisms that would be invoked if the user was logged into the remote file system 19 f and accessing it directly.

Using the Explorer Client 12 a user can manipulate the content of a remote file system 19 f, at step 78, in the same way that they manipulate the file system on a desktop computer running Microsoft Windows. For example, a user can acquire a piece of content such as a Microsoft Word document from the remote file system 19 f by simply moving it to the local file system on their device 18. The Gateway 14 provides additional content management capabilities including determining whether or not the content that a user is attempting to acquire is suitable for the user's current device 18.

In addition to straight forward manipulation, the Gateway 14, through its policy engine 50, provides very sophisticated content management functionality across the shared, mobile, file systems 19 f including, the ability to automatically pull or push content from one user's device 18 to another, intelligent notifications when content is available, automatic installation of applications (.exe files) on user devices 18, and document routing when content that has changed.

When a user “acquires” a piece of digital content, the Gateway 14 continues to monitor and manage the digital content, at step 80, both on the user's device 18 and on the remote file system 19 f. If a user modifies the content (assuming they have permission to do so), at step 90, then the Gateway 14 will automatically update the modification on the remote file system 19 f, at step 92, and that change will be pushed down to the local copies of the content on other users' devices 18. Once the remote file system 19 f has been updated, the Gateway 14 continues to monitor the content, at step 80.

Additionally, if the acquired content changes so that a user's copy is no longer current, the user can be informed by the Gateway 14 so that the content can be “re-acquired,” at step 84. A determination is made at decision box 86 as to whether a user wishes to re-acquire the content. If a user does not wish to re-acquire the content, the Gateway 14 continues to monitor the content, at step 80. However, if a user decides to re-acquire the content, the Gateway 14 modifies the content on the user's device 18, at step 88, and continues to monitor the content on the user's device 18, at step 80.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system 600 upon which embodiments of the invention may be implemented. Computer system 600 includes a bus 602 or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a processor or processors 604 coupled with bus 602 for processing information. Computer system 600 also includes a main memory 606, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to bus 602 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 604. Main memory 606 also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor 604. Computer system 600 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 608 or other static storage device coupled to bus 602 for storing static information and instructions for processor 604. A storage device 610, such as, for example, a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to bus 602 for storing information and instructions.

Computer system 600 may be coupled via bus 602 to a display 612, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), or may be a handheld active or passive display, for displaying information to a computer user. An input device 614, including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to bus 602 for communicating information and command selections to processor 604. Other user input devices include cursor control 616 or microphone 617. Cursor control 616 may include one or more of any number of devices, such as, for example, a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to processor 604 and for controlling cursor movement on display 612. The cursor control 616 typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), allowing the device to specify positions in a plane.

Execution of sequences of instructions contained in main memory 606 causes processor 604 to perform the process steps described above. One or more processors in a multi-processing arrangement may also be employed to execute the sequences of instructions contained in main memory 606. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions and it is to be understood that no specific combination of hardware circuitry and software are required. Instructions may be provided in any number of forms such as source code, assembly code, object code, machine language, compressed or encrypted versions of the foregoing, and any and all equivalents thereof. “Computer-readable medium” refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to processor 604 for execution and “program product” refers to such a computer-readable medium bearing a computer-executable program. The computer usable medium may be referred to as “bearing” the instructions, which encompass all ways in which instructions are associated with a computer usable medium. Computer-readable mediums include, but are not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device 610. Volatile media include dynamic memory, such as main memory 606. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus 602. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 604 for execution. For example, the instructions may initially be borne on a magnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system 600 can receive the data on the telephone line and use an infrared transmitter to convert the data to an infrared signal. An infrared detector coupled to bus 602 can receive the data carried in the infrared signal and place the data on bus 602. Bus 602 carries the data to main memory 606, from which processor 604 retrieves and executes the instructions. Instructions received by main memory 606 may optionally be stored on storage device 610 either before or after execution by processor 604.

Computer system 600 may also include a communication interface 618 coupled to bus 602 to provide a two-way data communication coupling to a network link 620 connected to a local network 622. For example, communication interface 618 may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, communication interface 618 may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, communication interface 618 sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.

Network link 620 typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices. For example, network link 620 may provide a connection through local network 622 to a host computer 624 or to data equipment operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 626. ISP 626 in turn provides data communication services through the worldwide packet data communication network, now commonly referred to as the “Internet” 628. Local network 622 and Internet 628 both use electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams. The signals through the various networks and the signals on network link 620 and through communication interface 618, which carry the digital data to and from computer system 600, are exemplary forms of carrier waves transporting the information. Thus the processing required by method of the invention described by way of example herein may be implemented on a local computer utilizing storage device 610 or may be implemented, for example, on a LAN or over the Internet.

Computer system 600 can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), network link 620, and communication interface 618. In the Internet example, a server 630 might transmit a requested code for an application program through Internet 628, ISP 626, local network 622 and communication interface 618. In accord with the invention, one such downloaded application provides for transmitting an inspection procedure to an inspector at a remote inspection data from a central computer and receiving, in the central computer, information transmitted from the inspector at a remote location to permit processing of the inspection information by the central computer. The received code may be executed by processor 604 as it is received, and/or stored in storage device 610, or other non-volatile storage for later execution. In this manner, computer system 600 may obtain application code in the form of a carrier wave.

As should be clear from the above discussion, by creating a virtual abstraction layer, the content management system 10 of the present invention addresses the “intermittently disconnected nature” of mobile access and takes into account the performance and functional capabilities of the devices or networks being used. This makes it possible for organizations to enable secure access, and management of files for users regardless of the location of the users or files, or the capabilities of the devices and networks involved.

The content management system 10 of the present invention includes the Gateway 14 that mediates access from users who have the Explorer Client 12 to file systems 19 f made available through the use of the Mounting Client 16. The file systems and users can be associated with any type of mobile (or non-mobile) computing device 18, and they can be located anywhere inside or outside the corporate firewall.

The content management system 10 of the present invention provides for the secure, reliable, and seamless access to files on remote, mobile file systems 19 f. In so doing, the content management system 10 copes with the intermittent nature of mobile connections, the different capabilities of different remote file systems 19 f, and the security of the files being accessed in such a manner that the complexities are hidden from the user. The accessing of files includes the ability to: (1) add, move, and change file system authorizations remotely; (2) remotely manipulate the contents of the file system 19 f using all the existing file system actions such as the ability to create new files, modify existing files, delete files, and read files; (3) remotely manipulate the structure of the file system 19 f using all the existing file system actions such as the ability to create new folders, modify existing folders, delete folders, and change the folder hierarchy.

The content management system 10 of the present invention provides for the transparent authorization of users based on existing file system authorization structures in the remote file systems 19 f by one or more of the following: (1) authorizing users directly against the remote file system structure using “pass through” authorization; (2) authorizing users indirectly against a cached representation of the remote file system structure residing within the Gateway 14; and (3) authorizing users indirectly against a virtual authorization structure maintained by the Gateway 14 that overrides remote file system authorization structure.

The content management system 10 of the present invention provides for transparently authenticating users by one or more of the following: (1) directly authenticating against an existing authentication system for the remote file system structure such as Active Directory, RADIUS, and LDAP using “pass through” authentication; (2) indirectly authenticating against a cached representation of an existing authentication system for the remote file system 19 f that resides within the Gateway 14; (3) indirectly authenticating against a virtual authentication system maintained by the Gateway 14 that overrides any existing authorization structure.

The content management system 10 of the present invention provides distributed content authorization by maintaining the authorizations associated with content when they are copied or otherwise moved via the Gateway 14 to a user's local file system on their mobile device 18. According to one embodiment, the implementation of the content management system 10 propagates or inherits—from the remote file system—permissions (such as NTFS) into the Gateway 14 as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) entries in one of two ways: (1) real time authorization; or (2) near real time synchronization. In both solutions, security permissions are successfully inherited and enforce proper access permissions to content (e.g., files and folders) discovered and acquired by Explorer Client 12 users.

The real time authorization utilizes an LDAP NTFS authorization plugin. This plugin is used in conjunction with the LDAP Access Control Instruction (ACI) plugin to enforce access control of a warehouse associated to a shared mount point. The plugin uses the Discretionary Access Control List (DACL) of files and folders when the LDAP ACI plugin is invoked against a given LDAP entry.

The near real time synchronization of NTFS DACL to LDAP ACIs utilizes a daemon process. Running as an authorized NTFS domain user for the given mount point and as an authorized Gateway 14 system user, the process detects near real-time changes that occur on the DACLs of files and folders. The security changes are then reflected on the Gateway 14 metadata specified as LDAP ACIs. The security updates are transmitted over HTTPs when the permissions change on the associated mount point.

The content management system 10 of the present invention provides the generation and maintenance of cached representations of file system authorizations and authentication information. The cached representations can be re-generated/generated manually or automatically in response to changes. This results in decreased user perceived latency, as well as decreased consumption of network bandwidth.

The content management system 10 of the present invention provides the generation and maintenance of cached representations of the contents of file systems 19 f. Users of the Explorer Client 12 can transparently interact with the cached representation of a file system instead of directly with the file system 19 f. The cached representations can be re-generated/generated manually or automatically in response to changes. This results in increased availability of content, decreased user perceived latency, and decreased consumption of network bandwidth.

The content management system 10 of the present invention provides the ability to overlay additional content management functionality in addition to that provided by remote mobile file systems 19 f. The functionality includes, but is not limited to, the ability to: inform the user of changes in managed file systems 19 f; queue content for delivery to a mobile device; track which users have what content on what file systems (and push and pull content from those users automatically); specify that certain users or groups of users must have specific content on a particular file system 19 f; indicate where on the system the content should be; or automatically install the content (in the case where the content are actual applications to be deployed). All of this is done without requiring any actions by the end-users.

While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims. 

1. A content management system having one or more shared file systems located on one or more networks comprising at least one wireless network providing intermittent connectivity, having a firewall, the content management system comprising: an explorer client for forming a profile of a mobile device outside the firewall, the profile being formed by continuously determining the performance and functional characteristics of the mobile device and the network coupled to the mobile device; a mounting client for determining capabilities of the one or more shared file systems and for determining where content resides on each of the one or more shared file systems on the one or more networks; and a gateway for creating a virtual abstraction layer, the gateway in communication with both the explorer client and the mounting client, the gateway utilizing the profile of the mobile device and the capabilities of the one or more shared file systems when creating the virtual abstraction layer to allow the mobile device via the explorer client to manipulate the content residing on the one or more file systems via a cached representation of the content on the mobile device and to allow the mobile device to access the functions of the file system containing the content as if the file system was local to the mobile device.
 2. The content management system of claim 1, wherein the mounting client captures an authorization structure and makes it available to the gateway, the gateway being capable of caching the authorization structure.
 3. The content management system of claim 2, wherein the authorization structure is communicated from the gateway to the explorer client, the authorization structure being cached by the explorer client along with the content from the one or more file systems.
 4. A content management system for mobile devices having an intermittent mobile connection over a plurality of networks comprising at least one wireless network providing intermittent connectivity, the content management system comprising: an explorer client for forming a profile of said mobile devices, the profile being formed by continuously determining and maintaining the performance and functional characteristics of the user device and said plurality of networks coupled to the mobile device; a mounting client for determining capabilities of one or more file systems and a layout of content on the one or more file systems; and a gateway for generating and continuously maintaining a local virtual abstraction layer as a cached representation of the content of the one or more file systems, the local virtual abstraction layer being generated from the layout of content on the one or more file systems communicated to the gateway by the mounting client and allowing the mobile device via the explorer client to manipulate content residing on the one or more file systems via the local virtual abstraction layer on the mobile device and to allow the mobile device to access the functions of the file system containing the content as if the file system was local to the mobile device.
 5. The content management system of claim 4, wherein the cached representation of the content of the one or more file systems is updated when the mounting client communicates a detected change on any of the one or more file systems, the detected change being communicated to the gateway.
 6. An article of manufacture for managing a plurality of content stored across a plurality of shared file systems located on networks, the article of manufacture comprising: a computer readable medium; and a plurality of instructions wherein at least a portion of said plurality of instructions are storable in said computer readable medium, and further wherein said plurality of instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform the steps of: a) continuously determining the performance and functional characteristics of a mobile user device when a user of the user device requests content from the plurality of content stored across a plurality of the shared file systems, the functional characteristics of the user device including the type of device and the operating system utilized by the user device, and the performance characteristics including the amount of current unused memory available on the user device; b) continuously determining the performance and functional characteristics of the networks, the performance characteristics including the current speed and capacity, and the functional characteristics includes the type of networks; c) determining the characteristics of the file systems that contain the requested content; and d) creating a virtual abstraction layer based on the characteristics of the user device, the networks, and the file systems, the virtual abstraction layer providing a view to a plurality of user devices as if that content was local to the respective user devices and the virtual abstraction layer providing the requested content from at least one of the plurality of the shared file systems to at least one of the user devices allowing the user device to access the functions of the file system containing the requested content including manipulating the content as if the file system was local to the mobile user device.
 7. An article of manufacture for managing content across an intermittent mobile connection, the article of manufacture comprising: a computer readable medium; and a plurality of instructions wherein at least a portion of said plurality of instructions are storable in said computer readable medium, and further wherein said plurality of instructions are configured to cause a processor to: a) manage a plurality of file systems; b) continuously determine the performance and functional characteristics of a first mobile user device when a first user of the first user device requests content from any of the managed file systems across the mobile connection, the functional characteristics of the first user device including the type of device and the operating system utilized by the first user device, and the performance characteristics including the amount of current unused memory available on the first user device; c) continuously determine the performance and functional characteristics of the intermittent mobile connection, the performance characteristics including the current speed and capacity, and the functional characteristics including the type of the connection; d) determine the characteristics of any of the managed file systems that contain the requested content, including the characteristics of the content on the file systems; e) generate and maintain a cached representation of the requested content of the managed file systems on the first user device, the cached representation of the requested content being manipulated by the first user on the first user device; allow the first mobile user device access to the functions of the file system containing the requested content as if the file system was local to the first mobile user device; and send the manipulated content across the intermittent mobile connection to the file systems of the managed content from the first user device.
 8. An article of manufacture for managing content across an intermittent mobile connection, the article of manufacture comprising: a computer readable medium; and a plurality of instructions wherein at least a portion of said plurality of instructions are storable in said computer readable medium, and further wherein said plurality of instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform: a) managing one or more file systems; b) continuously determining the performance and functional characteristics of a mobile user device when a user of the user device requests content from any of the managed file systems, the functional characteristics of the user device including the type of device and the operating system utilized by the user device, and the performance characteristics including the amount of current unused memory available on the user device; c) continuously determining the performance and functional characteristics of the intermittent mobile connection, the performance characteristics including the current speed and capacity, and the functional characteristics includes the type of the connection; d) determining the characteristics of any of the managed file systems that contain the requested content, the characteristics of the file system including an authorization structure and authentication information provided by any of the managed file systems providing the requested content; and e) generating and maintaining a cached representation on the user device of the authorization structure and authentication information from any of the managed file systems providing requested content, the cached representation allowing the user of the user device to access the functions of any of the managed file systems providing the requested content, the functions including authorizing authenticating and permitting the user on the user device to modify the requested content. 